Folding table



(No Model.) H A. STEVENS.

FOLDING TABLE.

' No. 491,760. Patented Feb. 14, 1893.

UNrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. STEVENS, OF NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

FOLDING TABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 4:91,?60, dated February 14, 1893.

Application filed November 7 1892. Serial No. 451,153. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. STEVENS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norristown, in the county of Montgomery and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Tables, of which the following is a specification.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a simple, neat, durable and comparatively inexpensive table having the parts thereof arranged and adapted to be readily folded into small compass to permit of the convenient transportation or storage thereof and to be unfolded and caused to assume an open position to constitute a rigid, serviceable and strong table.

Myinvention consists of theimprovements hereinafter described and claimed.

The nature, scope and features of my invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part hereof; and in which Figure 1, is a plan view of the underside of a table embodying features of my invention and showing the part s thereof in an open position for use. Fig. 2,is a side elevational view showing at the righthand side thereof onepair of legs and their complemental tie-rods in position for being opened transversely of the table and showing at the left hand side the other pair of legs turned around into position for being folded lengthwise of the table. Fig. 3, is an end View showing the parts of the table in closed position.

In the drawings the top of the table coniprises a series of leaves a, hinged together as at 0/,and adapted to be folded in opposite directions into the position shown in Fig. 3.

b, is a brace-rod or cleathaving one of its extremities pivotally attached as at h to the underside of one of the outside leaves of. The free extremity of this brace-rod or cleat is adapted to be detachably engaged by a spring clip 19 secured to the outside leaf, in order to permit of the folding of the top of the table, and is also adapted to be turned into engagement with fingers 5 attached to certain of the other leaves a, of the table, in order to secure the top of the table in open position and to impart rigidity thereto.

0 and c, are two pairs of legs respectively pivoted together as at 0 in order to permit of their being folded together as shown at the right hand side of Fig. 2. One leg of the pair 0', is connected with one member at, of the hinge, whereof the other member at, is pivotally attached to the outside leaf o by means of a stud, nut or pivot (P, in order to permit the pair of legs 0', to be turned into the positions shown at the right and left hand sides of Fig. 2 according as the legs are to be opened for use or folded for transportation. The other leg of the pair of legs a, is attached to one member 6, of a hinge, whereof the other member e, is provided with a springcatch 6 provided with a slanting projecting tongue as shown adapted to detachably engage in or with the surface of a pocket e", secured to the outer leaf a in order to maintain the legs in open position for use. One of the other pair of legs 0, is pivoted and hinged to the outer leaf a and the other leg of said pair is adapted to be detachably connected with the outer leaf 0, in a similar manner and by means of the same type of devices that have been hereinabove described in connection with the pair of legs 0, and consequently said devices are denoted by like letters of reference upon the drawings.

f, are tie-rods having one of their respective extremities pivoted to the inner leg of each pair of legs and having their free extremities adapted to be turned into engagement with spring-clips f, to permit of the folding of thelegs, and into engagement with sockets fisecured to the under side of the top of the table in order to secure the latter in open position.

This table is strong, light and rigid and may be folded into small compass in the following manner:-The tie-rods f, are turned into engagement with their spring clips f, as shown in Fig. 2, and the brace-rod or cleat Z), is turned into engagement with its spring clip b as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. After the spring catches 8 have been released, the legs of the pairs 0 and c are folded together and turned about the studs, nuts or rivets d into the position shown at the left hand side of Fig. 2. Each pair of legs is then folded down upon the outside leaf to which it is attached and it may be remarked that this operation is facilitated by reason of the fact that the spring catches 6 are hinged to theircorresponding legs. The leaves comprising the top of the table are then folded together as shown in Fig. 3, and in such manner that the legs and their accessories are located upon opposite sides of the folded leaves. In this position the table occupies a very small compass and maybe readily transported and stored.

The table may be opened for use by first unfolding the leaves of the top and locking them in such position by turning the bracerod or cleat Z), out of engagement with the spring clip b and into engagement with the fingers b Each pair of legs is then turned "around its ,com lemental stud nutor ivot d into position for being opened transversely of the top of the table, as shown at the right hand side of Fig. 2.

legs of each pair 0 and c, are then opened and secured in such position and to place in respect to the top of the table, by turning the spring catches into engagement with their:

jects of my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a folding or knock-down table, a pain of legs pivoted together, whereof one is attached to a pivotally supported hinge on the table and a back-stop for said hinge on the table and whereof the other leg is attached to,

one member of a hinge having its other mem ber provided with a spring-catch adapted to detachably engage the table, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a folding or knock-down table, a top comprising a series of leaves hinged together and provided with a cleat or brace-rod pivot ally connected with an outside leaf and adapted to engage a spring-clip, and a series of fingers, in combination with a pair of legs pivoted together, whereof one is attached to the table b'y'a p'ivotally'supported hinge and the other is attached to one member of a hinge having its other member provided with a spring-catch adapted to detachably engage the table, substantially as and for the pur poses set forth.

This operation may be facilitated by providing the underside of the top of the table with back stops g, with which the hinges collide as soon as the legs have been turned into the required position. The

3. In a folding or knock-down table, a top comprising a series of leaves hinged together and provided with a cleat or brace-rod pivotally connected with an outside leaf and adapted to engage a series of fingers connected with certain of theleaves, in combination with a pair of legs pivoted together, whereof one is attached to a pivotally supported hinge on the table and a back-stop for said hinge on the table and whereof the other leg is attached to one member of a hinge havingits other member provided with a springcatch adapted to detachably engage the table, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. I I

4. In a'folding or knock down table,a pair of legs whereof one is attached to one member of a hinge having its other member pivotally attached to the table and whereof the other is attached to one member of a hinge having its other member provided With a spring-catch co-operating with a pocket secured to the table, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a folding or knock down table, a pair of legs whereof one is attached to the table by a pivotally supported hinge and whereof the other is attached to one member of a hinge having its other member provided with a spring-catch adapted to detachably engage the table, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. 7

6. A folding 0r knock down table comprising a series of hinged leaves, a brace-rod or cleat pivoted at one extremity to one of the outside leaves and adapted to engage a sprrn g clip and'a series of fingers, two pairs of pivotal legs whereof oneleg ineach pairis con-,

nected to an outside leaf by a pivotally supported hinge and whereof the other leg in each pair is provided with a spring catch for engaging a pocket on an outside leaf and tierods pivotally attached to one leg of each pair and adapted to engage clips on the legs and sockets on one of the intermediate leaves, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY A. STEVENS.

lVitnesses:

EUGENE D. EGBERT, ABM. L. I-IALLMAN. 

